Closure for collapsible tubes, &amp;c.



O. SONDHELM.

CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES, 8L0.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1920.

1,354,921, Patented 00:. 5,1920.

10 5 'ij '1 3AM i Smmm OSCAR SONDHELM, on NEW YORKpN. y.

CLOSURE FOR GOLLAPSIBLE TUBES, 8w.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Application filed May 18, 1920. Serial No. 382,352.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR SoNDHnLM, a citizen of the United States, residing at 116 East Ninety-fifth street, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in C10- sures for Collapsible Tubes, &o., of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates to closures for containers such as collapsible tubes, bottles, etc, and is particularly designed for use with receptacles containing liquid or semi-liquid material such as tooth paste, toilet preparations, etc., although it may also be used to advantage in connection with receptacles containing powder or dry material. 7

My objects are to provide a closure which may be simply and'inexpensively manufactured, which shall be sanitary at all times, shall tightly seal the container when the latter is not in use and in which the cap or covering device shall be permanently secured to the container, or to the end closure member or portion of the same so that it can not possibly be lost.

Devices have previously been proposed in which the end closure of a tube or bottle is provided with a neck having a side opening therein which is adapted to be covered and uncovered by a cap permanently secured thereto. In such prior devices the cap has been mounted for rotation about the neck, either with a sliding movement or with a screw-threaded engagement therewith. It has also been proposed to have the cap screw-threaded on the neck so as to move lengthwise thereof, when unscrewed, to uncover the side opening, a stop being provided to prevent the complete removal of the cap from the neck.

None of these devices have, however, so far as I amaware, gone into extended commercial use, for various reasons. WVith all of them there is difliculty in maintaining an effective seal at all times when the container is closed and at the same time providing a device which will always beclean and sanitary. If screw-threads are used, the same tend to become clogged withtooth paste or other similar material and if a rotary movement of the cap is made use of to close and open the orifice in the neck, for example, to aline an opening in the cap with an opening in the neck, the movement tends to force material at the edge of the opening in the neck, under the cap, when the latter is rotated into closing position. My invention overcomes these various difficulties in an exceedingly simple and practical manner by providing a neck having a side opening, upon which neck the cap is mounted for sliding movement axially of the neck. The neck is given a smooth outer surface and the cap is provided with a friction and sealing member upon its inner surface, which slidably engages the outer surface of the neck. Such a sealing and friction member may consist of a thin sheet of cork or plastic composition cork or the like retained against the inner side surfaces of the cap. Removal of the cap from the neck is prevented by appropriate means, such as an upwardly extending pin at the top of the neck, this pin having an enlarged upper end against which the top of the cap may abut when the cap is in fully opened position.

' With such a device, the inner surface of the cap, of cork, or the like, engages the surface of the neck with sufficient friction ,to hold the cap in closed position or in open position. The cork or similar material likewise provides an efficient sealing medium to tightly close the container when the cap is in a closed position. The cap with its lining, as described, is also adapted to keep the neck clean at all times since when the cap is moved downwardly to close the orifice the lower edge of the cap and the sealing member carried thereby will clean the surface of the neck and sweep any paste or other material which may be adhering to the edges of the opening downwardly, on to the upper surface of the end closure, which is preferably tapered, it thus being impossible for any such paste or material to be forced under the surface of the cap. Such removal of paste or the like containing a volatile ingredient also prevents the hardening of this material at the opening, such hardened material causing waste as its removal (as by by directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating one embodiment of my inventlon. In the drawings Figure 1 represents a partial side elevation of a container embodying my invention, the cap being shown in its upper or open position and Fig. 2 is a similar view with the cap in its lower or closed position, the cap and its contained sealing member being shown in position.

Referring to the drawings, container 1' may be a collapsible tube formed integral with the end closure 2, or the end closure may be a separate member secured to the container 1, or the container 1 may be a rigid bottle or other form of non-collapsible container to which the end closure 2 is se cured in any desired manner. The end closure 2 is preferably formed with a surface which'slopes downwardly and outwardly at all points, as shown.

The neck 3 extends upwardly from the end closure member 2, preferably axially thereof and may be integral with the closure 2 or secured thereto in any desired manner. The neck is provided with a side opening a which preferably takes the form of a slotextending lengthwise of the neck and of a sufficient length, in the case of a container for toothpaste or the like topermit a stream of material of substantial widthv to be forced therefrom. The lower edge of slot 4c is preferably formed slightly above the lower end of neck 3.

Neck 3 is closed at its upper end as shown at 5 and from this top surface 5 of the neck a pin 6 preferably extends upwardly for" a distance which may be slightly greater than the length of the slot 4:. This pin is composition, may however be used. '65

upset at its upper end, or otherwise provid7ed with an enlargement as is indicated at The cap 8 is formed of suitable metal, with aside portion which is preferably cylindrical, or adapted to be slidably cngaged with neck 3. The cap may also have a top portion 9 provided with a central opening through which the pin 6 slidably extends. The cap is preferably knurled or roughened, as shown at 10 to facilitate manipulation of the same, it being sufiicient to provide this nurling adjacent the upper edge of the cap only.

The sealing and friction material 11 preferably takes the form of a thin cylinder of cork mounted within the cylindrical side wall of the cap. Other material having sealing and friction properties, such as cork This sealing member moves up and down with the cap. The upper edge of the sealing member bears against the under surface of the top portion of the cap while the lower edge of the sealing member is preferably retained by pressing the lower edge of the cylindrical portion of the metal cap inwardly, as is shown at 12.

. The operation of the device will be apparent. When the cap is in its closed position shown in Fig; 2 the friction member of cork or similar material 11 upon the smooth neck 3 will be suflicient to hold the cap securely in its closed position while at the same time the pressure of the sealing material upon the surface of the neck adjacent to the opening 4, will effectively seal the opening and prevent any leakage or evaporation of solvent in the paste therefrom. The neck 3 may be cylindrical, or may taper very slightly so that its bottom diameter is very slightly greater than its top diameter, if desired. When the device is to be used the cap is pushed upwardly until its upper surface abuts against the stop 7 to uncover the opening, in which position the cap will be held by friction. Then the cap is pushed downwardly again toward the closing position the lower edge 12 of the cap, together with thelower edge of the cork cylinder 11, will push before it any paste or other material contained within the tube, which may be sticking to the edge of the opening 4. This material is pushed away from the opening on to the sloping surface of the closure member 2 from which it may be readily wiped, it thus being apparent that none of this material may be forced into the interior of the cap.

What I claim is:

1. In a container, the combination of an end closure portion having an upwardlyextending neck with aside opening there through and a smooth outer surface, a cap having an imperforate sleeve portion mounted on'said neck to slide vertically thereon, to cover and uncover said opening, said cap carrying a tubular cork lining adapted to slidably engage said neck and coversaid opening when said cap is in covering position, and means to prevent the removal of said cap from said neck. I

7 2. In a container, the combination of an end closure portion having an upwardlyextending neck with a side opening therethrough and a smooth outer surface, a cap having an imperforate sleve portion mounted on said neck to slide vertically thereon, to cover and uncover said opening, said cap carrying a tubular. lining of mate- ,rial adapted to exert friction against said neck and to seal said opening when said cap is in covering position, anchsaid neck having a pin extending upwardly'from its upper end, with an enlarged upper end, said cap having a top portion through which said pin slidably extends, adapted to abut against said enlarged end when said cap is in uncovering position.

3. In a container, the combination of an end closure portion having a sloping surface and an upwardly-extending neck with a side opening therethrough and a smooth outer surface, a cap mounted on said neck to slide vertically thereon to cover and uncover said opening, said cap having a top portion and an imperforate cylindrical portion with its lower edge bent slightly inwardly, a tubular lining of sealing and friction material within said cylindrical portion, extendingfrom said top portion to 15 OSCAR SONDHELM.

Witnesses DYER SMITH, I. MCINTOSH. 

